Naruto of the Guilds
by Onizzyx
Summary: To travel between worlds requires one to be a planeswalker. That was an irrefutable truth. Without the spark one could not travel. But due to the curiosity and knowledge of a dragon and the inventive minds of many, an experiment was conducted. An experiment that thrust ten people into a new world, and in front of a lone child. Neglected Naruto.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own neither Magic: The Gathering, Naruto, or any other thing that may be referenced.

* * *

Talina followed the others, taking care to avoid anything that looked remotely dangerous. Her entire strategy at the moment was to stay in the middle away from the metal walls, and keeping bodies in between her and any potential dangers.

She looked at her fellow emissaries, those chosen by their guilds to come and see this public viewing. This could quite possibly be their execution ground as well come to think of it. Their solemn faces as they marched reminded her of men bound for the gallows.

She moistened her dry lips with a quick dart of her tongue. She tried to steal glances at the others without them noticing, but it was a lost cause.

They were doing the same thing. Watching, analyzing, and thinking thoughts to themselves.

The one immediately to her right was an Azorious female around her age, maybe a year or two older. Not quite in her prime, but coming into it. Blonde strands of hair poking out from behind her helmet, body hidden behind silver gleaming armor and the blue cloak following behind her and staff in hand. It was a little reassuring that there was an Azorious beside her. They were known for their zeal regarding rules and regulations. There would be little chance for them to come to harm if there was an Azorious being an overseer.

The young woman on her left was a Boros. She didn't even bother wearing her helmet carrying it in one hand. Her red hair billowed wistfully with each step. Where the Azorious are the ones who write the laws that many follow, the Boros is the military might. She too was wearing armor, but instead of a cape she wore a red and white tabard with a blade strapped to her side.

There was a scowl on her face that almost bordered on a sneer. Why if one were to ask her she would think the Boros didn't want to be here.

She understood that feeling.

She looked forwards ahead of her and almost wished she didn't. There was one being in the crowd that almost everyone detested.

She didn't want to look too long at the Rakdos. They were all frivolous, sadistic, thrill seeking killers. The only use a Rakdos had was for manual labour. How trustworthy is a guild that kidnaps people and tortures them to death? What good is a group that kills people for sport? What would you trust to a group that worshipped a demon?

His choice in clothing was almost as repulsive as the stench of blood that hung off him like a cheap cologne. There were piercings all over his body, all over with varying sizes and designs. Leather straps with metal buckles aligned his arms, with blades attached to them with rings of metal. It was a sad mockery of a wind chime as a form of fashion. She scoffed at him in distaste. It was almost disgraceful for him to be a representative of a guild.

Then she reminded herself that he came from 'The Cult of Rakdos', and it made too much sense.

At least the Selesnya guild mage was more formal. Her green and white robes more appropriate for the occasion. Her long pointed ears poked out from her blonde hair as the elf's ears twitched at every clang of metal.

She honestly had no idea what to think of the people of Selesnya. Their idea of unity towards a common goal was worth respect. The idea of sacrificing themselves for trees of all things left her a bit baffled. She could understand sacrificing something for money, her guild was all about business after all, yet the Selesnyans believed that voices in their head from the dryads was worth dying for. They weren't the only guild to respect nature true, Gruul and Golgari did the same, yet they were similar to a cult with all the preaching of a unified voice in their heads.

Speaking of the Gruul, he was not what she was expecting. The man may as well have been a half giant for as large as he was. There were muscles on top of muscles and they were topped off by red tribal tattoos. He was wearing the hides of animals as clothes, and he was using a skull of some sort of beast as a helm. Instead of seeming like a detestable savage much like the Rakdos he appeared almost regal.

From what she heard, the Gruul were uncivilized savages. Known for random acts of violence, destruction of property, and there was no sense of true unity. Each of the clans that made up the Gruul did their own thing until something came up. Little more than barbaric savages. Yet this one though seemed to command his own kind of respect. A confidence born from strength that was forged through hardships.

She didn't even need to look in the next person's direction to know what guild they belonged to. The stench of decay that lingered in the air like musk told her all she needed to know.

Golgari.

The Golgari _was_ what she was expecting for her kind. Average in height, with skin pale from lack of sunlight, and hair greasy. Not surprising really, they lived under the city working in _rot farms_ , places where they actively help refuse rot faster so that they can use the land to make new things.

The thought of using the dead for something was not repulsive for her. She was an Orzhov, she had beings made from the flesh of others called thrulls. No, it was not death that made her want to gag. It was the smell of rot.

Finally she snuck glances at the last two members of this envoy of guilds.

The Simic was familiar to her, she was actually an apprentice to her very own doctor. She was a calm and composed girl, always with a slight smile on her face as she would greet the patients.

She didn't dabble much with Simics outside of medical needs. She could respect their need for advancement, and the need to find cures was as natural for them as breathing. It was what they were up to behind closed doors that frightened her. She heard rumours that they made diseases that could kill thousands, she heard tales of wailings from unknown beasts coming from the depths of their guildhall. She's even _seen_ the creatures called virusoids. Walking blobs of viruses and plagues in the sad façade of a human form. Yes, the Simic was the guild of evolution, whether for good or bad.

Finally her eyes came across the Dimir. She couldn't tell if the person was a male or female, there was nothing to distinguish it. The blue cloak covered everything of the person, hands, feet, face, the only thing peeking out were two sky blue eyes. The Dimir were a guild cloaked in darkness and misinformation. There were even rumours that they would erase their own memories to keep secrets. It made them trustworthy to get the job done, yet there was no proof they wouldn't sell your secrets to others either. They were as much a boon to society as they were detrimental.

Talina tried refocusing on the path ahead, yet her mind was swimming with useless thoughts. She already knew enough about the guilds. She should be focusing on something else. Like why would the Izzet's call for a convening of the guilds? What kind of new invention did they create this time?

She shouldn't bother trying to understand how an Izzet's thought process worked. They were like hyperactive children with little to no attention span. They had enough firepower at their disposal to do destroy a given area, and enough reckless abandon to actually do so.

Don't get her wrong, they made some very useful inventions. The created teleport stations to allow for instantaneous travel to anywhere in the world. They developed, maintained, and improve the waterworks that span the entire ecumenopolis. Yes, they were useful in their tools and services.

Didn't change they were hyperactive pyrotechnics.

After what seemed like ages, their journey led them to a place that reminded her of the Basilica. Everything was blown out of proportion making her feel like nothing but a mere speck. There was no ceiling to be seen, only the stars above, whether it was glass on top or a spell that stopped the elements she was unsure.

She could see pipes zig zagging this way and that all over the room. Tubes filled with liquids of different colours and sizes seemingly placed at random; as the contents bubbled and boiled within. Gauges and dials shook and rumbled even as the vents and exhausts whistled and hummed.

Just looking at this place reminded her of their insanity. This entire area may as well have been a giant music box with all the noise it was making. If they really did call her here to show her a giant music box, she didn't know if she would be happy or sad.

She wouldn't put it passed an Izzet to make a giant music box. When she was almost struck by electricity she changed her mind though. Focusing again in front of her she tried searching for the incoming danger.

Arcs of light danced to life amongst the various gaps of the giant contraption. Mana in the form of electricity coiled and turned around golden spires before leaping to another to wind its way down. Vents would shoot out jets of steam at timed intervals as they whistled a steady beat. Lights on boards would dance to a tune only their watchers would truly understand even as runes hummed a rhythm heard only to them.

Various creatures of the Izzet guild hustled and bustled as they jolted and jumped to complete tasks only they knew. Short pale green creatures adorned in red and blue clothes jumped on levers as others turned cranks and nozzles. Liquid fleshed beings with fire trapped inside them connected hoses to ports that let out steam that would scald skin. Tiny winged people flew between groups, delivering parchment to bald blue skinned humans as they in turn reported to others of different species.

All of them adorning the same shades of red and blue on their clothes speckled with golden like armor with tubes linking parts.

Through all the chaos the group of nine stood in between the gleaming towers and away from the busy activities.

"You know," She began slowly. Her eyes taking in every sight warily. "If I wasn't so terrified that this entire place could blow any second. I would actually be somewhat amazed."

She tried to stay away from the overbearing monoliths of power, her ebony cloak swishing with every little fidget. She hated how she was chosen to come to this event. She would rather be back at the cathedral listening to some priest about Gods long since gone. Everyone knew that the cathedrals were more of a way of gaining extra coin these days than for actual worship. Attending one of their sermons was a complete waste of time.

But the worst that could happen there was for her to die of boredom.

Between the bursts of fire, blasts of steam, surges of electricity, and the probable explosion, there were many ways for her to die.

Yeah, she'd rather be anywhere else in the world than here right now.

"I wouldn't be so worried. We have placed many rules and regulations that must be adhered to if they wish to have a public viewing event." The voice tried to be reassuring to her, she knew that instinctively. Yet she couldn't accept it.

Turning towards the teenager she pointed a delicate finger at her plated chest. "Rules and regulations are good for adults Azorious. What we have here are a bunch of hyperactive children with enough magical power and pyrophile tendencies to destroy a city block and blanket the world in flames!"

"And it is for that reason that we have evacuated the entire city block." The young lady gently pushed her hand off of her armor as she refocused her gaze to her surroundings.

"That doesn't make it better. It just means you expect there to be an explosion!"

"Ha! That'll be a riot!" She turned her gaze to the Rakdos. He was looking around the place with deviant glee with a smile so big it could split his face. "I wonder if it would be a mushroom cloud or a giant ball of flame."

"Tch," The Boros was less than pleased to hear him speak. "I fail to see the reason for one of their ilk here." She could be related to a snake for all the venom leaking from her mouth.

The Rakdos merely smiled savagely back, eyes a light with madness and mirth.

"There is no need for that." All attention went to the Selesnyan. "We are all here to show the trust in the unity of our guilds." She almost wanted to laugh. Everyone knew that the guilds weren't truly united. The only reason none of the guilds were at war was because they _couldn't_ go to war.

At least for as long as _that_ man was still breathing.

"Umm, excuse me, may I have your attention please." Talina almost jumped out of her skin as she turned around. That voice was too close to her for her liking. "Hello, my name is Onizzyx."

He was dressed like all the other beings running around. Red and blue robes, golden armor, and eyes covered by goggles yet she could see glowing blue eyes behind the tinted lenses. The only thing that really stood out was his height and race. He wasn't taller than the average goblin. If she had to guess he would probably come up right below her chest. No, his height wasn't her main concern.

It was his age.

"…The one leading the experiment is an actual child…" That feeling of impending doom she had before? It was back in full form now. By the looks of it she wasn't the only one feeling off about this entire situation.

"Oh, no no no." He shook his hands in front of them to relieve them of their discomfort. "I'm not in charge of this project, I'm only acting as our glorious Firemind's eyes at the moment." With that he took off the goggles he was wearing. The blue glow from his sclera was more dominant now as well as his reptilian shaped iris.

The guild leader of the Izzet's would actually be watching? Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind. A dragon over 15, 000 years old, and the very founder of his guild would be observing this experiment. Known for being as intellectual as he was whimsical as he was vain.

The chill down her back was as cold as the drop of sweat on her cheek. Just how important was this experiment? Stealing a glance at the others she could see even they were concerned.

"Hey! Is there gonna be an explosion?!" Except for the Rakdos.

Fucking Rakdos.

"The chances of an explosion happening are slim to none." She couldn't stop the sigh of relief escaping her mouth at that confession. That, was actually reassuring for her. It would make sense that an experiment with a child attending would be safe. No one in their right mind would allow a child as young as the boy to do something dangerous.

"If anything I would be more worried about being engulfed in molten rock, possible rearrangement of your body as reality shifts and bends it as it wills. Or maybe being thrown into a void until the end of time as the darkness destroys you from the inside out. Or, you know, random monster jumping out and sucking your brain out while you're still alive and trying to comprehend how a living contradiction has form. But yeah, not much explosions."

First chance she got, she was going to kill her firm's syndic.

Actually, no, she was going to sue her syndic out of business, buy his business back, enslave him to a contract, and make him work for her in death and beyond.

"So tell me Izzet, just what is this Epic Experiment supposed to do?" She looked at the redhead whom just spoke. You could practically feel the capital E's just as strong as her sarcasm.

"A very good question Miss, this experiment is to give us access to other worlds." Wait, what? "You see, our great Parun has been aware of beings called Planeswalkers for quite some time. Beings able to go world to world, place to place. Imagine what they could have seen, imagine what they could have done. The Firemind wishes to know what lies beyond our own. What knowledge they have."

This… was sounding promising. New land, new merchandise, new opportunities, it would be a good investment for her guild.

If it worked and they survived that is.

"Sorry to interrupt you sir but you may want to evacuate." The pale goblin gasped out between laboured breaths. She could see the things perspiration and fear just as much as she felt her own.

"What happened?"

"Well, a fairy kinda flew into a steam burst and flew into Gretchal. Then Gretchal fell into one of the boilers, and it sorta lowered the temperature by 14 degrees, and it may have made one of the heating coils start generating more heat to compensate. But then one of our hydropyre wierds kinda acted like a conduit between power rods 13 and 17 when it tried to save Gretchal."

The child blinked owlishly as the goblin gave the explanation. "Oh."

"Yeah, and that kinda led to section 17a of the power grid to go off line because of the short, and then a group thought it would be better to overclock 16z and 17b in order to balance out the power output."

"… That means the mana leakage percentage would be higher than calculated." This, was not sounding good. Not sounding good at all.

"Rqfn said to send more mana into power lines 46 and 28."

"Why? What would that do?"

"Dunno," The goblin shrugged at the question. "Sounded good at the time."

"And that means mizzium coils 1-4 and 9-12 are about to create a mana burst."

"Yup, Balera says the explosion's gonna be huge." She felt her breath sink into her stomach. The happiness in the goblins voice just reinforcing her belief that they were explosion happy children.

"Huh," The boy paused as he held a finger to his cheek. He looked at the Rakdos before he said something she feared. "Looks like you'll get your explosion after all."

"Rock on!"

So this was how she was going to die. She knew she shouldn't have accepted this _prestigious_ position as an ambassador. Now all her fortune meant nothing. "Fucking Izzets…"

The child charged in between the gathered people and she almost stumbled back in surprise. The floor lit up as a set of runes unfamiliar to her appeared before he slammed his hands on the ground. The glow from the markings blinded her as she raised her arms to block out the light.

She wasn't aware of a second rune marking appearing under the first. She was ignorant to the electricity of charged mana jumping from the towers to arc and crash into the ground. She failed to see as the mana surged and made them glow brighter.

She felt a moment of weightlessness and nothingness before she dared to open her eyes. What she saw was a world of unreachable colours. Reds mixed with purple highlighted with pinks and greens. Yellows so bright they may as well have been white while there were blues so dark they should have been black. She thought she saw a massive red dragon as it peered at her and those around her before another light enveloped her.

Then she saw nothing but a forest.

* * *

The air passed through his lips with a sigh as he gazed out the window.

"Now remember, control how much chakra you put into your feet. Too little and you'll slip, too much and you'll be forced off." He could see his mother coaching his older twin as she ran towards a tree in the backyard.

The little redhead ran up the bark until she slipped. Going into a free fall she was caught before she hit the ground by the strong arms of his father. Her happy giggling was infectious as even his father started boisterously laughing. His mother stood at the side shaking her head in exasperation at the two's antics before joining in herself.

The time so long ago when they stood side by side was just a bittersweet memory to him.

He remembered a time where he and his sister were treated equally. His parents made sure to raise them with love and adoration. Waking up in the morning to a kiss from his mother, a hug from his sister, and a pat on the head from his father. He remembered a time where he was beside his sister as they were being trained. He remembered all of those things.

He remembered a time when he didn't feel so alone.

Turning on the balls of his feet he started walking away from the view of his father spinning his sister in the air.

Unaware that his back was caught by the eyes of his sister.

Unaware that the joyous face of his sister turned downcast.

Unaware of the guilt from thoughts that crept into mind.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own neither Magic: The Gathering, Naruto, or any other things that may be referenced to in the future.

* * *

"What is a body without a soul? The answer is a corpse. What is a soul without a body? The answer is a ghost. Hey Boros, do ya know what two things a ghost is made of?"

\- Izzet Guild Mage, Onizzyx

* * *

The morning rays peeked through the blinds covering the window. The light illuminating a room littered with toys and dirty clothing. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that a tornado could have swept through the room and scattered everything it could any place it could.

In the disarray and chaos of the room two children slept soundly on the bed. Their limbs and hair strewn about all over the twin size bed at the far corner of the room. The steady rise and fall of their chests and their light shallow breathing telling the world they were fast asleep.

"Naruto, Mito, wake up you two. It's time for breakfast." It was nothing more than a muffled voice. A call from someone downstairs that travelled all the way to the second floor. Any normal person would have just ignored the call and continued sleeping. Yet one of these children wasn't exactly a normal child.

The little red head girl's ear twitched before her eyes opened at the sound of the older woman's drowned out voice. Her violet eyes blinked in confusion, her mind taking a moment to make sense of what it heard.

"Kids! Breakfast!" With the prospect of food in the forefront of her mind she turned to the younger boy beside her.

The blonde was still fast asleep even with the rays from the sun shining into his eyes. Out of the two siblings he was the late riser and the heavier sleeper.

A smile found its way upon her lips as she gazed at the sleeping blonde. Mito propped herself up and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. She tried to shake him awake with small motions and her smile grew as she saw her brothers eyes flutter open.

"Otouto-kun. Wake up. Morning." She called out gently. His eyes were unfocused in lethargy. He stared at her smiling face for a little longer before closing his eyes again and letting sleep claim him.

Her brow started to twitch as her smile lost its warmth and became more mischievous. "I said wake up!" She growled before jumping on him and tickling him. Her small fingers prodding the areas she knew to be sensitive.

A sharp squeal pierced the air as his eyes snapped open. Laughter sounded through the room as the elder sibling continued her attack. The young boy tried to fight back but it was futile. Mito had grabbed Naruto's arms and pinned them above his head as her other hand continued her assault.

"Nee-chan I'm awake!" Crying out in mercy he tried to get her to stop. The only response he received was the pleased giggle from his elder and a continued onslaught from her fingers.

"Breakfast kids! Don't make me come up there!" The call from their mother stopped their actions before Mito ran downstairs. Naruto raised his arms as he let out a yawn before following his sister to the table.

His father was already sitting down with his breakfast in front of him as his sister slowly climbed into her seat. His mother was in front of the stove finishing the touches to the first meal of the day. Her long crimson red hair swayed back and forth as she finished putting food on the plate for the young ones. Naruto sat in his seat beside his sister as his mother put the food out before them.

"You two need to stop staying up so late." She said as her hand tussled his golden locks. She found it cute how the two would always go to sleep in their beds, yet one of them would always sneak into the others room.

"But sleeping is boring." Mito whined to her mother before shovelling some eggs in her mouth. The mother of the two could only sigh and shake her head. It figures that the one with the Kyuubi sealed inside of her would hate to sleep. She didn't know if it was normal, she didn't know if it was because Mito was an Uzumaki, but she was a bit too much energetic.

"You're going to have to. We're going to start your training soon." Kushina replied as she rolled her purple eyes.

"We're going to start our ninja training?" Naruto asked his father before odd noises forced him to look at his sister.

Mito was choking on her eggs. No matter what she was doing Mito had to do things fast. When she heard they would begin training she swallowed a full portion in surprise. He placed a hand on her back and started moving it in a circular motion as she tried to swallow it down. When she managed to clear the food from her throat she took a gulp from her orange juice.

"Easy there princess. There's no reason to be so surprised." His father said behind his amused smirk. His blue eyes gleaming in mirth as his spiky blonde locks bounced up and down as he reigned in his laughter.

"That's what happens when you get excited while eating. We'll begin training tomorrow, so from now on I want you two to sleep in your own beds." Naruto couldn't help but snicker at the scolding his older sister was receiving. She puffed her cheeks out in displeasure. The sight of that made him giggle harder.

"Ok." The young boy agreed after finally calming down. With his part of the discussion done Naruto focused on his meal.

"Why can't I sleep with Otouto-kun?" Mito didn't agree with the decision. She liked sleeping with her little brother. There was something comforting with having someone there when you close your eyes. There was a feeling of warmth seeing someone you care for when you wake up. She needed to change their decision! "How am I supposed to sleep without Otouto-kun? He's like a heated teddy bear!"

"Because you'd keep him up all night playing games princess." Minato's retort was followed by him trying to clean the bits of food on his daughter's face. It was difficult to do that however when she let loose peals of laughter from how ticklish it felt to her.

When he deemed her face clean enough he retrieved his coat that was hanging on his chair and made his way out of the kitchen.

"Have fun at work." It was a sarcastic remark that was sent with a smile. Minato knew she was teasing him, there was nothing fun with sitting behind a desk all day.

"Yes, the joy of paperwork is one of the few joys I have in life." He quipped back. It made his wife roll her eyes before she gave him a shove.

"Kaa-chan! Otouto-kun and I are going to play outside!" The older red head barely had time to turn her head before she heard the hurried footsteps leaving the room.

"Change out of your pyjama's first!" Kushina let out an exasperated sigh as her children ran upstairs. It always happened like that. Her daughter the boisterous leader and Naruto the quiet follower.

"I can't believe it's almost been six years." She said wistfully as she opened the window and leaned against the sill, watching her two children play in the yard.

Her mind flashes back to the day the masked man attacked. She had to give birth in an area away from the village because her seal would be weakest when in labour.

She never expected anyone to take advantage of that.

The caution the Sandaime's wife Biwako and the others showed will be engraved on her memories. Her husband was hovering over her stomach trying to maintain the seal. They stood protectively around her, separating her from the masked man in the spiral mask. It was endearing, but the faces they made as they died protecting her flashes into her mind on the worst of nights.

Biwako questioned the man as to why he was there. No one else should have been there that night. Her question was answered with her head being severed right off. The kind old woman always watched out for her when she could. Even in death she was watching Kushina. Her head flew through the air and rolled around on the ground before coming to a stop. Her eyes were dead as they stared straight into hers.

The others rushed into action after that. One by one they attacked the unknown assailant only to be cut down. Blood adorned the walls like a painting; bile and gore decorated the floor like puddles after the rain.

Minato charged the man after that. Throwing one of his three pronged kunai and using the Hiraishin that he was infamous for he disappeared from sight. Phasing from existence the kunai ended up flying through the man as he charged as well. He was like a ghost when he went through Minato without any kind of contact. Bypassing the blonde completely he placed a hand upon her seal.

The medic-nin told her she was pregnant with twins. There was a third being that came from her stomach that night.

The howl of rage was followed by the thundering steps the fox made. The cry it gave as it entered the world reverberated in everyone's ears as fear seeped into their hearts. The angry swish of its nine tails spreading ruin and destruction everywhere. Trees and debris tossed aside as easily as the people trying to stall it.

The man's task wasn't completed with that act. He tore Mito out of her arms and had her hostage. Mocking Minato and her he asked him to choose between his family and his village. She would have flew into a rage and rushed him if the familiar labour pains she had bringing Mito into the world didn't return. Minato made a clone to help her as he charged the man again hoping to rescue their daughter.

When Minato had his daughter safe in his arms the masked man disappeared. Minato let her hold both of her children. She took comfort in their warmth as they were laying in her arms. Then Minato took them both away from her. The fury she felt then grew larger when she found out what he was planning. It was that fury that allowed her to move and follow Minato.

She wanted to kill him at that time.

She followed him to the frontlines where everyone was trying to stop the Kyuubi. The old man was issuing orders when she ran up to him asking if he had seen Minato. Hiruzen was alarmed at her haggard appearance and hurried to ask her what happened.

The broken look on the old man when she told him how his wife died haunts her till this day.

An old man past his prime fighting for his life and that of the village he loved. He was calm, collected, and firm with his resolve. He lived through two ninja wars and reigned as the Hokage for many years. Yet all the resolve he had crumbled when Kushina told him how Biwako didn't die of old age.

It was the straw that broke the camel's back. Hiruzen Sarutobi, third Hokage of Konohagakure, gave his life to the Shinigami that night. As soon as Gamabunta came in to view, the boss summon of the toads, he sped off to join her husband on its head.

His sacrifice was both a blessing and a curse for her. A blessing, because of his sacrifice, her entire family will live. A curse, because of the events that led up to it, that will haunt her every year around this time.

"Thank you." Kushina liked to think that those two were still watching out for her. She liked to believe that the breeze that caressed her cheek was their way of saying 'you're welcome.'

Her thoughts were interrupted by the shouts of her eldest from the lawn. Both her kids were waving happily at her. The sad smile made its way onto her face as she raised a hand to wave back at her children. She raised her cup of tea to her lips.

Kushina liked to believe days like this would last forever.

Hot liquid started streaming down her arm. The cup must have been old. The tea must have been too hot for it to handle. She couldn't think of any other reason to why it would have cracked.

* * *

The Namikaze patriarch sat behind his large mahogany desk. Retrieving a report from one pile his eyes perused the document, looking for anything odd about the request. He tapped his pen on the surface of the desk in a steady rhythm. Minato was almost tempted to strangle whoever processed this request. He thought there was something odd about it. On the surface it seemed like a basic B rank assignment, but the way they had it worded on paper…

Someone was hiding something.

The village of Konoha was a ninja village. It was a village made up of liars, killers, and thieves. It was literally in their job description to do all those things and more. It may have seemed hypocritical to others, but there was an honour system about never lying on a mission request. Not only could they kill the people that breached the contract, or they could make their lives a living hell.

Ninja were capable of many things after all.

It was a world where the wrong information could get someone killed. That's why the truth and facts were important to ninja's. If he just went word for word, it would be B ranked. If he went with hidden intentions and word plays it could possibly be AA ranked. He would not send one of his soldiers on a suicide mission because of some merchants silver tongue!

When he interviewed the client he would grill him as much as he could.

He sighed to himself as he tried to rub the tiredness from his eyes as a groan escaped his lips. He leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling.

Being the Hokage was more about processing papers than anything else. It was almost like whoever became Hokage was doomed to be stuck behind the desk. Hardly any time to train, hardly any time to spend anything meaningful with his family. When it came down to a fight would he even be strong enough to win now?

A lock of his blonde hair gently swayed from a small breeze and a kunai found its way into his hand. He had ANBU hidden in his office, but one can never be too careful. Especially with the numbers of enemies he's made over the years.

No one becomes a Kage without making enemies.

"Working hard or hardly working?" It was a voice he recognized well. He turned around and met the older man's stare.

He was an older gentleman; if you could call a self-proclaimed pervert a gentleman. His grey hair framed his aged face with the long hair trailing behind his was tied into a ponytail at his back. He was eccentric for a ninja, with his green shirt and pants he would fit into the background of the forest. Yet that was offset by the red overcoat with two bright yellow dots that he wore.

Then again who was he to talk? He was a ninja with bright yellow hair and he displayed it proudly.

"Jiraiya-sensei, when did you get back in the village?"

"Last night. I've been doing some _research_ if you get what I mean." Ah, he should have expected that. His teacher was the writer for one of the hit smut novels that has ever reached the bookstores shelves. The way he got _inspiration_ for his novels was to peek at the hot springs or other areas with lots of female flesh.

"Be careful that Kushina or Tsunade don't catch you. You know there'll be hell to pay if they do." He figured it was his obligation to give a warning, yet he knew it wouldn't do the aging man any good.

"There's a reason why I'm in charge of the spy network Minato-kun." The cocky smirk that was shot at him made him roll his eyes.

"That's fair." It was a point to be made for sure. Someone that had contacts in almost all villages and able to infiltrate any village should be good enough to not get caught. But the times for pleasantries were over; it was time to move on to business. Stowing his 'Minato the student' persona away he changed into the Yondaime Hokage persona. "So hear anything interesting lately?"

"You'll find the details in my report. I think it's somewhere in the middle." That wasn't to say that Jiraiya was willing to deal with the Yondaime Hokage. He was the one who taught Minato when he was 12. No matter what title he may have earned now; Jiraiya would always see him as that kid he picked up from the academy back then.

"Couldn't you have just given me an oral report?" The child from back then returned and let out a groan.

"Sorry kid. Proper procedures and all that." It was a weak excuse. Jiraiya didn't have to give written reports for some things. There was some information that was too sensitive to just leave a paper trail. "So how are you doing? How's everything with the family?"

"Mito's as energetic as ever. Naruto follows her around like a faithful puppy, and Kushina's enjoying her retirement. Everything for me would be peaceful if I didn't have so much paperwork."

"Must be nice having a family to come home to." Jiraiya said in a soft voice. He started looking out towards the village. There was a chance for a family for him too before. With a certain medic-nin as the one he loved.

The silence was an uncomfortable one. What do you tell a man that gave up his own happiness for someone else? "You know you're a part of our family. You should stop by more often. The kids will be happy."

"Too many things are happening at the moment." The old man admitted with a shake of his head. "Take a look at the report later."

"Things that bad?"

"More concerning than anything." It was the way that Jiraiya said concerning that set Minato on edge. Concerning could mean anything from a famine, to a full out genocide of another village.

"Concerning in what way?" He needed clarification. If something was happening outside his village's walls, it could eventually make its way inside.

"Concerning as in Rain has closed all its borders and gone into complete isolation. Concerning as in certain nukenin have been disappearing. Concerning as in certain villages outside have become ghost towns." Jiraiya ticked off one of his fingers for every point he made. He didn't want Minato to feel worried over such things but his duties as the Hokage made him need to be involved in such matters.

"…Concerning as in an army is on the move…" It was the most logical choice in his mind. Closing its borders and going into isolation means they were either getting ready to defend themselves. Or it could mean they were choosing to hide their army. Nukenin disappearing without their bounty getting cashed? Probably being drafted for an army or joining an organization. Villages becoming ghost towns? Civilians would always be the first amongst casualties.

"Nothing concrete yet. I asked the toads and they told me something concerning too." Jiraiya admitted to something Minato did not want to hear. The toads were trusted allies to be sure. They helped gather information and with infiltration. There were also toads that assisted him in actual battles.

The reason why Minato did not want to hear something concerning from the toads was because of their predictions.

"What did Gamamaru say?" The blonde thought back to the old prophetic toad. Rumored to be around at the time of the sage of six paths his predictions were unerringly accurate.

" _The demon shall be freed from its bondage._

 _The being and its power will be joined once more, and the world shall feel its coming._

 _The power of many becomes the power it will take._

 _The power it takes from all shall be one._

 _All the world shall suffer with its coming._

 _Through the darkness there is hope._

 _Salvation in one of two._

 _A union of serenity and savagery._

 _A partnership between nature and man, of order and chaos._

 _The child will fight the demon with powers unseen._

 _Thus the world shall be saved."_

"Prophecies just have to be vague huh." No matter who tried to predict the future, it was never exact. Always filled with riddles and metaphors and never giving out the important details.

"That's how prophecies are kid." Jiraiya freely admitted the truth. The apologetic look that was given to Minato didn't make him feel better.

There was a moment of silence as Jiraiya allowed the blonde to let the words sink in. His mind trying to make heads or tails of the revelation of what was foretold.

"The demon may be the Kyuubi, we did separate it from its conscious from its chakra."

"Possible, improbable. How much do you know of myths?" It was an odd question to be sure. Myths were tales meant to inspire children as far as he was concerned. Just a simple grain of truth exaggerated to make a magical story.

"Not too much I'm afraid. Myths are just fictional tales." He admitted and dismissed them with a thought. What good is a myth when your men and women were on the frontlines during a war? What was the point of looking up legends when there were unseen enemies ready to strike?

No, there were better uses of his time than looking up old stories.

"Idiot boy." Jiraiya scoffed at his student. "There are many things to learn within our history. Even how the Biju came into being. For all its power, the Kyuubi couldn't lay waste to the world. It could try, but Konoha has always triumphed over it."

The known history of the Kyuubi only goes as far back as the battle at the Valley Of The End. It was a battle between Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju that actually created scar in the land. It was a battle between a revenge driven traitor and a stout protector of his home.

The battle ended with an Uzumaki containing the Kyuubi in themselves; and the world with one less Uchiha.

"So what do you think it would be then?" Minato would be the first to admit, the Kyuubi was likened to a force of nature. A sweep of its tails was said to crumble mountains. He couldn't confirm that, but he could confirm that a roar from the beast could blast away trees. A being of power that took the lives of many to seal away. How many would need to die for something stronger to be defeated?

"Have you ever heard of the Juubi?" Minato's heart skipped a beat. The Biju were beings that were measured by their tails. The more tails a Biju had the more powerful it was.

"There's something more powerful than the nine-tails?" For something to be more powerful than the Kyuubi. He doubted that all the villages combined would be able to defeat a monster like that.

"The Biju are merely the _fragments_ of the Juubi. According to the legends the sage of six paths separated its body from its chakra. It's chakra he sealed within himself and fractured it to make the Biju. Do you know where its body is?" Of course he didn't know where it was. Jiraiya was just messing with his head. He had to be. This morning he didn't even know the Juubi existed. Now he was being asked where it was. How was he supposed to know?

"You know where it's located?" His heart was pounding and his mouth was as dry as desert sand. If they knew the location they could put some security around it. They could try and prevent whatever would free it from coming.

"You see it on most nights. It's big and round at its fullest." His spirits plummeted immediately. If it was a location on the planet they could protect it. Travelling to the moon though? That was merely a fantasy of children to go to the moon.

Then the thought of something being sealed in the moon burst into his head. Something big like that could crush the village with one hand. The Kyuubi tried, but even then its paw could only crumple a building underneath it. There would be no way to stop its release. That meant there was only one other alternative. To stop the monster afterwards when it made landfall once again.

"So the one in the prophecy…" They would need to locate the child quickly. The sooner they found them the sooner they could train them. Who knows when the beast would descend, the only thing they could do now was prepare.

"It would most likely be Mito. She holds the chakra, the chakra unseen." Jiraiya thought hard about this before he showed up in the office. The chakra of a tailed beast was chaotic and savage. Most jinchuuriki found themselves in a frenzied berserker state if they used too much. The strongest containers of the beasts were ones that had a semblance of control over the wild beasts' power. "Start their training soon Minato. Your daughter might be facing a God someday."

"Oh. Sure. No pressure." It would be so easy he thought sarcastically. All he had to do was train his daughter become something akin to a demi-god.

Jiraiya shot an amused look at the anguish on his students face. "You think it'll be hard on you? The kid'll literally have the weight of the world on her shoulders."

"I'm the one that has to train her. I have the weight of the world on my shoulders, with her on top." His head collapsed into his hands. Of course he was planning to train his children. Both of them were looking forwards to being ninja of the village. Now a standard was set for his daughter. A standard he wasn't so sure he could train her to reach.

A hand landed upon his shoulder and gave it a comforting squeeze. He gazed into the eyes of his mentor and saw the face that always supported him in his youth. "Don't worry, all of your family will help you through this."

"Thanks sensei." He was right. Konoha was known for its 'Will of fire'. The strength of a person through unity with others. The strength of standing tall and coming out on top of whatever life could throw at them.

* * *

"Alright kids, listen up!" Minato tried to get the attention of the two in front of him.

Well, one of them. Naruto was paying attention. Mito was playing with Naruto's head, making it rock back and forth between her hands as if it were a ball.

"I'm listening Daddy." She turned her eyes at her father but didn't stop her motions.

He waited a few seconds to see if she would stop. But after giving up waiting he decided to continue with his lesson. "Ninja use something called chakra in their bodies for a variety of skills. Chakra grows as you grow and get stronger. If you don't learn how to harness and control it a lot of techniques will fail. The more you have the harder it is to use efficiently."

All children were a bundle of energy, yet his children were more energetic in his mind. Mito was always running around and Naruto was always pushed to keep up. It wouldn't take long for their chakra capacity to grow larger. Controlling it when it was still small would be more affective for their training in the long run. One of the side effects of having the Kyuubi's chakra inside of her was giving her stamina most children wouldn't have along with a larger Chakra reserve.

"How do we use chakra?" Naruto asked his father. If it was always with him he should've been able to use it. Yet he didn't feel any different and there was no signs of it showing before.

"To use chakra you have to mold it within your bodies. Can you recall times when you were playing and you thought you were exhausted?" It would be good if he could draw parallels to things they knew. Teaching people required one to also be able to put words and analogies with things they knew.

"Yes." Naruto freely admitted. It was difficult to keep up with his sister sometimes. So he knew the feeling of becoming tired well.

"No." Mito immediately denied. When she was playing all she wanted was to keep going. Nothing would be able to stop her unless she was bored. The only time she was bored was when Naruto was asleep. With no playmate there was nothing to do but wait for him to wake up.

"You're special sweetie. Do you know that feeling of warmth that fills you with energy or something you grasp when you're out of energy? Something that if you force; it will give you that extra push to keep going Naruto?" To that question they both nodded their heads.

"What I want both of you to do is sit down. I want you two to try and grasp that energy again but this time I want you to imagine it in your body. Feel it out, put it into focus, and try and let it out slowly." Hopefully that should be enough that they can grasp it. They had the physical aspect down, it was familiar to them, now they just had to harness that part. The spiritual part comes from within. Image training will help with that.

Mito sat across from her brother. He already had his eyes closed and his brow was crinkled in concentration. She didn't immediately begin the exercise. She just continued looking at her younger brother as he tried to focus.

Naruto tried to find the energy his father spoke of. The only problem was that he only ever noticed that energy when he was weak. Finding it when he was still fresh for the day was difficult. Eventually he felt something. It was just a slight feeling at the moment; but the more he focused the larger it felt.

It was an odd feeling of energy not used. Energy that was just waiting to be forced to do something. Grasping that feeling in his mind he tried to make an image of it in his head.

The image of a blue whirlpool slowly spinning in place appeared.

"You should get started sweetie. Naruto already has a hold of his chakra, even if it is small." He was really surprised by his youngest. It should have taken longer for a child with no prior training. He wasn't that good of a sensor but even he could feel the slight aura of chakra that emanated from his boy.

Mito followed her fathers' advice. She tried to look for the feeling of energy. She really did. But everything felt like energy to her. It couldn't be that easy though. Even though the energy that she felt was like a giant flame there had to be something deeper.

She found it further in and it was blocked by something else. It was restricted in a way. She could feel it but it was as if there was a dam blocking access. She poked and prodded at it in her mind and it felt like it poked back. She kept teasing it and playing with it, trying to get it to come out. Finally it answered her call.

Then all she felt was anger.

* * *

Naruto didn't know what happened. He didn't know what he did. What he did know was that he was screaming. Screaming at his sister to stop.

Her red hair was flailing everywhere and waving around angrily. Her nails and canines elongated as they bit and scratched him all over. Her once violet eyes full of warmth were now red in rage as snarls and hisses came from her mouth.

"Nee-chan! Stop! It hurts!" He pleaded and begged his sister through his screams of mercy. It did nothing to help him in the end. His sister was too far gone already. Too lost in the haze of anger that came over her senses.

* * *

Minato was stunned by what he was witnessing. His little girl was meditating one minute then mauling her brother the next. Torn clothes were strewn about as much as the blood from his body. Terrified shrieks reached his ears just as much as the hissing of his daughter. It took him a moment to regain his bearings. But it was already too late. The damage was already done.

He had to stop her before she caused anymore.

He pushed his daughter away even as his wife came running from the house. The little girl landed on her feet before trying to lunge at him this time. He was ready to catch her and throw her again. He just needed time to find a way to restrain her.

Chains erupted from the ground and wrapped around her arms and legs. It stopped her in her tracks even when she tried to force her way closer. She was clawing the ground in a bid to continue her assault. Hissing and snarling with every frustrated attempt. He knew those chains were strong enough to restrain her.

It was his wife's chakra chains, it would give him enough time. They were able to stall even the Kyuubi when it was free. It would hold against its jinchuuriki.

The tips of his fingers let loose purplish chakra. Gogyou Fuuin. It was a sealing technique that would alter the chakra flow of the Kyuubi's. It was a gamble, but hopefully it would work.

It wasn't as if he had time to think of something else.

Knocking his daughter back and pinning her to the ground Minato raised her shirt up. He could see the seal the Sandaime put on his daughter that night. Usually it was hidden from view and no one could see anything but skin. The swirl and squiggles on her stomach wouldn't make sense to anyone but seal masters. He designed that seal though, he knew how it worked. He know how to stop her.

Thrusting his hand at the markings on her body he watched as the red haze left his daughter. The snarls of anger lessened and the red eyes returned to violet before closing. She was asleep but unharmed.

"Minato what happened?!" His wife ran to meet him, questions flying from her mouth a mile a minute. He had more important concerns at the moment.

He flew towards his son's broken form. Blood was littering the ground. Muscles were being exposed from the gashes all over his body. His breathing was haggard and getting worse. He was unconscious.

He was dying.

He heard his wife gasp as Kushina finally noticed the boy amongst all the chaos. He didn't have time to answer her though. He didn't have time to comfort her. Picking up the frail boy he started making his way to the hospital. There was only one person he could rely on to heal him.

The best medic-nin in the world should be able to help him. She was the children's godmother, Tsunade. He knew exactly where she was too. He just hoped he made it in time.

* * *

In the darkness a red haze crept and crawled along the ground. It swept across the ground like a low hanging fog in a forest. It bled through the bars and oozed along until a sharp intake up breath sucked the crimson miasma in.

Behind the bars of the darkened cage a pair of red eyes cracked open. A dark throaty chuckled escaped a mouth full of sword like teeth.

For the first time in six years it was finally awake. It would need more energy. The pitiful amount it obtained was not enough. It was still tired from its long slumber, but it had enough energy to make more.

It just needed more time to regain its strength. But time was of little consequence. It was a patient being.

The eyes closed again as it tried to go back and sleep once more.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Magic: The Gathering, Naruto, or anything else that may be referenced.

Thanks for the reviews you two! You know who you are.

* * *

"Memories and regrets. Memories to remind the ghost of their regrets. Regrets to fuel the memories. It chains them down and they act on them. That is what ghosts are Izzet. A pitiful being that didn't accomplish what it wanted to in life."

Lliand Lynkrig, Boros Guildmage

* * *

When he first came to; the first thoughts were from familiar strands of red hair. Following the tips of the bangs he could see his mother's violet eyes gazing at him. Yet for all the warmth and comfort from them before; now they looked at him in contempt. Her jaw was clenched tight as her hands hung at her sides in fists.

His second thought was of his discomfort. The surface of the stone scratched at his bare back like nails irritating his skin. Each attempt at movement brought fresh waves of displeasure throughout his body. He tried to move his arms but metal chains bound him tightly as they creaked under the strain. His arms, his legs, and his neck; all of them were chained to the rock. His hands, feet, and stomach were pierced by metal rods pinning him down. The interlocking metal held the pegs down making it impossible for him to move.

"Neither of us have any sort of luck, do we?" A mirthless chuckle arose from Kushina's lips. There was a joke funny enough to laugh at him that only she was aware of. He'd never seen his mother like this before. "You keep the world at bay, but I keep _you_ at bay." She spat out at him.

She stopped laughing and her glare hardened and grew colder. Why did she seem so much smaller to him? "And you can be _damn_ sure I won't let you out. Demon."

* * *

"Someone prepare a room for a Chikatsu Saisei! I need two squads ready! Move it people!" A voice barked out in the hospital. She was rushing through the halls beside a stretcher filled with a pile of bloody flesh. Her green overcoat and blonde hair rising in the air with her rise in pace. The orderlies dressed in white pushing their payload with increasing urgency through the corridors.

This was not how Tsunade planned her day to be. It was supposed to be a normal day at the hospital. Perhaps some research on how to make better healing methods or medicine. Maybe give some kunoichi some good news. 'No, you're not dying. You're pregnant.' Something simple like that.

She did not plan to see her old teammate's student burst into her office in the hospital. She did not plan to personally be involved in surgery today. She didn't plan on seeing her godson bleeding over her new carpet. She _definitely_ didn't plan on letting him die.

She wasn't called the greatest medic for no reason.

* * *

He was a prisoner in his own body. Any amount of control he tried to exert over himself was useless. Any defiant shout he tried to howl came as nothing but silence.

It was that worms fault! Him and his accursed eyes! First chance he had he was going to squish his body until his eyes popped out like a toads!

"Kill him Kyuubi." That damn morsel dared to command him?

His voice echoed across the glade of trees in a way he despised. It wasn't a roar against the heavens at the unfairness of the world. It wasn't a shout of rebellion against humans.

It was the cry of the enslaved.

He never wanted to let loose a sound like that again.

* * *

Red eyes observed the boy quietly as he slept. Kushina was beside Naruto's bed while her fingers danced through his hair as she fought back a fresh wave of tears. It's been three hours since Naruto was first admitted into the hospital. Three hours of worry, three hours of fear, and three hours of tears. She tried to prevent her face from showing the agony she was feeling. Naruto deserved to wake up to a smiling face.

"Tsunade. When will he wake up?" She asked the woman who supervised the surgery.

"You've asked that question six times Kushina." Tsunade understood how Kushina was feeling. She's seen it a lot in the hospital by teammates, lovers, and family. That didn't mean her answer brought any sort of comfort to the mother of the boy. "I don't know."

"You healed him though didn't you?" The red head couldn't understand how Tsunade didn't know when he would wake up. The greatest medic in the world was known to be able to heal almost everything. So when the one person who should know didn't, it brought forth new worries to her.

"I healed his body. He had a skull fracture and blood leaked in, I could fix that. The multitude of lacerations across his skin I could heal. The breaks and fractures of his bones I could mend." She listed off all the injuries she could deal with. Each mention of each injury bringing forth a wince or cringe from the mother. She didn't know of any other way to put this, but it was better to get to the heart of the matter. "His body isn't the problem right now Kushina. It's his mind."

"What do you mean?" The look Kushina shot her almost made her not want to say it. As a friend she wanted to protect Kushina from the harsh and bitter truth. As a doctor it was her duty to let her know.

"Your son's in a coma. He could wake up in 5 hours or maybe even 5 years." Perhaps the reason why it came out as quiet as it did was because she didn't want to believe it either. Maybe that's the real reason Tsunade left the room after delivering the news. She didn't want to see Naruto in that state anymore and realize there was nothing else she could do.

"C'mon Kushina. We should go check on Mito." Minato tried to urge his wife away from the comatose boy. It hurt to see his son in that kind of state. It hurt even more when the thought that he inadvertently caused him to be this way.

"Naruto needs me Minato. He needs to see me when he wakes up." Kushina's stubborn refusal tore a bit more at his heart. Wanting to be with her child was natural. But there was another child that needed someone as well.

"Mito needs to see someone when she wakes up as well. Tsunade or one of the medics will call us if he wakes up. All we can do right now for him is wait." It was as weak an excuse to his wife as it was to his own ears.

He had to Sheppard his teary eyed wife out of his son's room. It hurt him to leave his son at the moment, but his daughter needed them there too. His daughter could wake up any moment, his son was in an unknown position right now. Being with his daughter is the better choice.

It's what he told himself as the door closed behind him.

When they made it his daughter's room Tsunade was already there checking over her paperwork.

"How is she?" Mito looked visibly better than Naruto. There were no bandages, no stitches, and no casts. Just a little girl sleeping peacefully on a bed.

"She's only mentally exhausted. She should be up any minute now." Tsunade gave them a weak smile.

At least she was able to give out some good news today.

* * *

Mito opened her eyes to see the hovering bodies and worried gazes of her parents. Why were they looking at her like that? Why did her mother look as if she were crying?

"Mito honey, how are you feeling?" Her father's voice was but a mere whisper. What happened to make his voice so quiet?

Her father was always strong. He was the strongest shinobi in the village and one of the most feared in the nations. He was a confident man who led thousands of shinobi.

So why did he sound so weak?

"I'm sore. My body hurts." She croaked out even though her muscles felt as if they were burning. Like someone tried to give her a bath in boiling water. The pain bubbled underneath her skin, sharp shocks erupting in minute pulses all over.

"What's the last thing you remember?" She turned to her godmother who was looking at her as well. Why was Baa-chan here? She allowed her eyes to roam around the room trying to make sense of everything.

"Mito? What is your last memory?" Her father asked her this time. Finding out where she was could come later she guessed. Instead she tried to focus on the question.

"I remember looking for the warmth. Then…" Her eyebrows creased in concentration. It was a hazy memory, something that was there like smoke but almost ungraspable. "Then I felt angry. After that I…" She tried to focus harder. But there was no way that the images coming to her head were real. "I…" Her memory had to be lying to her. That couldn't have been right. She would never attack her baby brother. The taste of his bleeding flesh in her mouth was a lie. His terrified screams in her ear had to be a lie. It had to be a lie!

"Naruto! Where's Naruto!" She had to make sure he was okay! Those memories could only be from a nightmare! They had to be!

"Naruto's in another room. He's been sleeping since the surgery." Just like that the fragile hope she had shattered.

"Take me to him! I have to see him!" She tried to force her way out of the bed. Tossing the sheets off of her even though her body screamed in agony. Her parents tried to force her back in the bed, but she wouldn't let them have their way. The more they tried to force her the harder she struggled against their gentle hands.

"Maybe you should let her see him? Maybe it will calm her down." A new voice cut in from the doorway with a wheelchair pushed in front of him. It was a suggestion; nothing more, nothing less.

"Sensei…" Minato was gazing questionably at the older man. It could possibly calm her down, or it could possibly make her hysteric. Was it really worth the risk right now?

The prophecy came to his mind like a thunderbolt.

Then an idea came to his mind from this opportunity. A part of himself was angry that he would even think of manipulating his family this way. The other part of him, the part that slaughtered thousands, thought it was the right choice to make.

Was the happiness of one person worth the lives of thousands? Is the livelihood of millions worth the sacrifice of one innocent?

Was it worth it when the sacrifice was his own son?

With a conflicted heart and mind he placed his daughter in the wheelchair.

* * *

She let out a horrified gasp when she recognized the mop of blonde hair on the bed. Naruto was laying down; sleeping peacefully. Too peacefully considering how damaged he was. There were stitches and bandages all over his body. The heart monitor's sharp staccato beeps pierced the silence and reminded her of each strike. Each scratch. Each injury.

"Naruto… Wake up… Please wake up…" She was pleading to her sleeping brother. Kushina looked down at her daughter in pity. She did the exact same thing but a mere few hours ago. Just like when she did it there was no response from the boy.

"Mito. Naruto's in a coma. He might not wake up for a while." Kushina didn't want to say 'if he wakes up.' She didn't want to think that to herself either.

"Mito." Minato started his plan. It tasted foul inside his mouth as the words left his lips. "Inside of you is a power. A power so incredible that it can change you."

He stared at his daughter's tear stricken face and almost faltered. But this was the right choice to make.

"Take a good look at your brother. This is what happens when you can't control it. This is what happens when it controls you. Your loved ones pay the price and end up becoming the victims." Mito returned her gaze to her brother.

This is what happens when she loses control? This is what happens when her powers run rampant?

Her small hands grasped the sheet covering her baby brother tightly. Each thought of her weakness reminding her of the terrified screams of her brother.

She would never let this power control her again!

The adults gazed at Mito as she resolved herself to get stronger. She had something she wanted to grow stronger for. She had a goal in life now. She had a reason to be strong.

Be strong enough to protect her brother from everything. Even from herself.

Minato was the only adult looking down at the ground. There was no turning back at this point. Everything was to safeguard the future. He would train her to be strong, stronger than anyone else. Because he had a goal for her in life.

If he had to choose sacrificing one person to save the lives of many. He knew what he would choose.

Because there never was a choice at that point.

He sacrificed his children for the village before. What was one last time for the world?

* * *

It was a vision out of hell.

Flames were spread all over the village as the burning buildings let loose giant pillars of smoke. Embers rose to the skies like butterflies taking flight from orange flowers. The screams of the fearful were matched by the wailings of the dying.

Through it all he smiled as he reveled in the chaos and anguish. He howled at the moon in pleasure and anticipation. He struck a structure forcing to spread its flaming payload to the next building. Let the world burn before him.

There were shinobi in front of him. Green jackets glowed with a red hue as their forehead protectors reflected red from the dancing flames.

These ants thought to stop him? These insignificant mortals?

With a swipe of his mighty hand they were tossed through the air like grains of sand.

Another mongrel tried to leap at him but his teeth met him in the air. The taste of copper filled his mouth as he tried to get more of the delectable taste. It was delicious. He tried to find the next delectable morsel to help alleviate the hunger he felt. So many to choose from too!

They all came towards him like moths to an open flame. He welcomed their arrival with violence unmeasured. For every blow one of them attempted on him three paid the price with their lives. So many of them tried to strike him too!

 _ **You humans never change**_

It was an endless buffet. They kept crawling out of whatever pit they were in like termites. They would swarm in a group and they would die as a mouthful.

 _ **You laugh when I'm bound yet flee when unchained**_

No matter where they ran to he would find them. They may be small, but the amount of fear they reeked of made them easy to hunt. No matter how fast they ran he would catch up and gorge on their flesh. Where could they hide where his fangs would not find them? Where could they run that his claws would not reach them?

 _ **Die before a power you never deserved to hold**_

He howled to the heavens. He could see glass from windows sparkle in the night as the splintered fragments fell to the ground. The sound of his voice causing them to shatter just as it made men and women fall to their knees. Their cry of pain brought endless mirth to him as they held their bleeding ears.

 _ **I am the bringer of destruction**_

A ball of energy formed in front of him as he continued howling to the moon. It started small like the hope they had of beating him. It grew to a size to show how insignificant they truly were. They should be humbled by his power. They should be in awe of the strength he lorded over them.

 _ **I am carnage given form**_

The colossal orb of his anger and rage shrunk as he bit into the globe of power. It tasted good, but it was not comparable to the succulent taste from earlier. He bellowed out a call to summon more of the creatures. A blast of energy escaped from his mouth as he swept it across the village.

 _ **I am Kyuubi**_

With a thunderous step the earth trembled like the ants below him. Both the ground and his prey shaking like a rabbit cornered in its hole. They would come out eventually. The more he destroyed the less places they could stay. Let their homes crumble beneath him. Let their walls of protection clash with his hands and crash to the ground.

 _ **And I am free once more**_

Just like cicadae's in the summer; their cries will soon vanish. They shall pay for trying to bind him to their will.

* * *

They all returned to the house shortly after visiting Naruto. Mito wanted to disappear in her room for a while but Kushina wouldn't have it. It wouldn't be wise for them to leave her alone without her coming to terms first.

Minato instead went to his study rather than comforting his daughter. He started a plan to save the world in the hospital today. Now it was time to tune it up as much as possible. Sheets upon sheets of paper were used to make an itinerary. Days will be spent on various branches of jutsu's, weeks of exercises will be planned and enforced. Routines will be made and maintained.

It would leave Mito no time to dwell on her past actions. She would be too busy with the training from hell. He would have to ask Gai for taijutsu practice, he was good with kids if he didn't terrify them away. Maybe that genjutsu mistress Kurenai, the power from the Kyuubi would make it difficult for Mito to use the chakra control necessary for the art. She should at least know how to defend herself against them. Kakashi or maybe Itachi for ninjutsu? Kakashi has copied many from his missions and travels, but so has Itachi. It would also ease some of the tension between the Uchiha's and the village if they saw their protégé with his daughter.

"Are you sure that was a wise decision Minato?" Jiraiya was confused at Minato's actions at the hospital. He more or less told Mito it was her fault her brother was in a coma. It was because of her weakness that her brother got hurt.

To him it seemed like a low blow. Hitting a little girl with the harshness of reality and using her brother as a mere message.

"You said it yourself Sensei. Mito may be fighting a God someday. We need to make her ready." Minato never once stopped scribbling notes on the many scattered papers. He never once looked at his old teacher as he continued to make plans after contingencies after precautions.

"There's a lot more riding on her shoulders than the survival of our village." Jiraiya freely admitted as he made his way to the blonde's side. Peering at some of the papers he could only shake his head in resignation. "The training to get her prepared will be hard." Going by the notes it looked as if Minato wanted to break his daughter instead of train her.

"She has Uzumaki blood in her Sensei. She can endure. She's seen what she could do if not properly taught. She now has the resolve and reason." Uzumaki's were known for their high vitality and stamina. His training took that into consideration along with the Kyuubi's given healing factor. She would endure the training and come out stronger because of it.

"What of your son? He will need to be trained as well." As he looked more and more at the notes, not once was Naruto mentioned in any of them. The only names that appeared frequently in each one were Mito, Kushina, and the odd jounin here and there.

Minato paused in his writing as his son's face flashed in his mind. Should he train Naruto alongside Mito? "No. He will go through the regular training at the academy."

"Minato! He's your son! You're just going to throw him to the wolves? You know how high the fatality rate for purely academy training genin is!" Just like in all things, those who are trained more succeed more. People from clans may be targeted due to bloodlines or blood feuds. They were at least trained to somewhat handle all that even before going to the academy. To thrust someone related to a Kage into the shinobi lifestyle without preparations was just asking for a premature death.

"We won't have time to prepare him!" Minato snapped at the older man. He didn't mean to, it was merely frayed nerves and the stress of the past couple of hours. "Kushina will have to focus on Mito because she can restrain her if she goes berserk. I have my duties as a Hokage; I'm pressed for time as it is. You have a spy network, Tsunade has the hospital, and Orochimaru has the lab. Who will have to time train him if he wakes up?" It was a weak justification for his decision. "The weaker Naruto is the stronger Mito will wish to be. The only thing stopping her is herself."

"The same could be said if he was strong. The stronger he is the stronger she must be. Just train them together Minato." Something didn't seem right to Jiraiya. His student was more logical than this. Why would he deny a boy training especially his own flesh and blood?

"No. If we train them together Mito will slow down to allow Naruto to catch up. That's how she's always been." Why was he being so adamant to leave Naruto untrained? He almost wanted to tear his grey hair out in frustration about how Minato wanted to have his son killed.

"Your arguments make no sense boy! Everything you've said so far the opposite can be stated as well! What's the real reason Minato? Why do you not want to train them side by side?" Jiraiya finally snapped. He forgot how roundabout Minato could be when he didn't want to say what was bothering him.

It wasn't until he got a good look at his student's eyes did it dawn on him.

"…" When Minato gazed up at his teacher Jiraiya's upcoming tirade of words grounded to a halt. The young Kage's face was that of a man torn with grief. The tears that were shed have already dried yet a fresh batch was just waiting to come. Eyes as red as the blood leaking from the blondes bottom lip as he held in his cries of grief.

He almost lost his little boy today. He stared as his beloved daughter mauled her baby brother. Too shocked in confusion to move right away, if he was almost a second slower the boy would have died.

"You're scared." Jiraiya answered his question that plagued his mind the entire conversation. "It makes sense. No father wishes to see their son in that kind of state. But that's not the whole reason is it? You're scared having Naruto around will make her depressed. You think she'll hold herself back subconsciously to prevent herself from hurting him again. You think the grief she'll feel will make her attack him by accident again." He couldn't help but pity the man. He wanted what's best for the world and at the same time the best for his family. Except what was best for the world was not what was best for his son.

"You're a great man Minato. Not many make the kind of decisions you have to." Jiraiya praised the boy as he let the bigger picture form inside of his head.

"Then why do I feel like I've already failed them?" Minato turned around and stared outside the window. He saw the monument where his face was gazing down at the village. The past three predecessors looking down at the village that they have built and maintained. Gazing at the village that they shed tears and blood for.

"Because you aren't a monster." The older man said as he joined man in observing the village. It may have been a trick of the light. It may have just been his mind playing tricks on him. Yet the eyes of the former Kage's looked like they were looking at them in approval.

* * *

For the first time in weeks Naruto opened his eyes. The continuously nightmares plaguing his mind has finally come to an end. It was all confusing for the boy. There were people he knew loved him glaring at him with hate. There were monsters that were terrifying in form but they made him feel loved.

He tried to rid the memories of the nightmares from his mind. Instead he focused on his unfamiliar surroundings. The orange glow from the walls sparked a memory, a memory he did not want to have.

Eyes wide in fear he tried to rush to the window. His feet collapsed on him due to the atrophied muscles. Each attempt sending sharp senses of pain all over his body. He was forced to claw his way across the room in a frenzied panic.

When he looked outside the window he didn't know what to think.

Usually when he looked at the village during the sunset he would see a wondrous and breathtaking sight. Staring down from the Hokage monument with his family brought a speechlessness due to the beauty of it all.

It stole his breath for a different reason this time.

The orange rays reflected from the sun made his mind play tricks on him. He saw the village burning and the sky matched it like water reflects the sky.

The noise from the villagers closing their shops for the day were distorted. Instead he heard the panicked wails of shinobi barking orders. Children running home for dinner were changed to people fleeing in fear.

What was the illusion?

What was the reality?

The screams registered a moment later. It reached his ears before he even realized it.

It was the sound of his own voice.

* * *

Authors note: Something feels off about the past couple of chapters. I'll probably change them later on as the story continues, but for now I'll just leave it. If you have any input on how to make it better it would help a lot.

On a side note I often find my times trying to write snippets for this story on my way to work. So usually I'll be listening to music before it makes me think of something. Here's a list of the songs I heard while writing, maybe you can try to figure out which scenes go with which songs.

Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni – Being

Umineko no Naku Koro Ni – Reanimate – Black Lilliana Arrange

Evanescence – Imaginary

Shinedown – Her name is Alice

Fairy Tail – Fairy Tail theme slow

As another note, I know I only have technically 1 prologue and 2 chapters out now, but updates are gonna be really slow for a while. Peak season at work has officially started today, so yeah.


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